Shades of Grey
by Victoria LeRoux
Summary: "You shot me," the analyst said weakly when he had Ethan's attention. "You... bastard. You shot me. Deliberately. I'm resigning. You freaking shot me." A split second decision has harsh consequences for both Ethan and Brandt. Some Brandt whump.
1. Chapter 1

From Senn's prompt list: "He never was one for shades of gray."

I didn't actually use that line in here, but this was what sparked off of her prompt.

T for language/violence

Many thanks, as always, to the group that makes up the Beta Branch. We're not exclusive by any means, so if you're interested in our particular brand of craziness, just send one of us a PM.

Part 1 of 3

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><p><strong>Shades of Grey<strong>_ -  
><em>Part One (Of Three)  
><em>- Victoria LeRoux<em>

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><p>"Drop it. <em>Now.<em>" Ethan's voice was unwavering as he shouted the order.

"Sorry, no can do," the man replied instantly as Ethan leveled his gun at his head. The knife in Kramer's hand moved closer to the victim that hung limply in his grasp. "You get out of here and I let him go." He gave his captive a little shake for good measure.

Brandt didn't dare move as the knife brushed lightly against his throat. It was like an old-fashioned standoff, but Brandt would have preferred to be out of the man's grip and on the other side of the room instead of hanging limply in his hands.

Or maybe in an underground bunker for when things went nuclear, as they often did around Ethan.

Brandt's eyes flickered from Ethan to the hand resting near his face and back again. He could see Ethan going through all the scenarios and looking angrier by the minute. Brandt knew that there were few options available to them – Kramer had already killed their asset in cold blood. The analyst was aware that he was lucky to be alive and relatively unharmed, with the exception of his broken arm.

"He's not going to shoot you," Rationally, Brandt was aware that trying to talk down Kramer was ineffective at best, but he needed to try because Ethan was getting the look in his eyes that meant someone was about to be shot.

With his luck, it would be him.

"He is, Agent Brandt," Kramer chuckled. "You know he is."

"Well, yeah, maybe. But you can't blame me for wanting to avoid the whole throat-slitting moment we're leading up to," Brandt said sheepishly, finding it hard to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't sure if it was the pain from his broken arm, or just his rising fear of Ethan's reckless nature. "So how about you let me go and-" the knife pressed closer into his throat, causing Brandt to fall silent. _Point taken._

Brandt tried to focus his eyes on Ethan. It was hard, with the angle his head had been twisted, but it was enough to let Brandt read the tell-tale signs on the man's face. Ethan's jaw twitched, and Brandt let out a heartfelt groan. Kramer glanced down at Brandt, puzzled by the sudden noise, and the agent closed his eyes. He had a feeling Ethan was going to do something incredibly _stupid._

His guess was confirmed moments later when something slammed into his right shoulder and burned through it. Brandt yelled hoarsely as his body jerked involuntarily. There was the sound of several more gunshots, and then he felt his body drop to the ground.

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><p>Ethan kept his gun locked onto the man, seething as his agent's face grew paler. This entire mission had turned into a clusterfuck of noteworthy proportions, and all the team leader wanted to do was get his agents back on a plane to D.C..<p>

He still found it hard to believe that they'd let Kramer get the drop on him. It was supposed to be a simple intel drop, and they'd prepared accordingly. What they hadn't gambled on was finding their asset dead on the ground, or Brandt getting into a fistfight with Kramer. It hadn't ended well for the analyst, and Ethan had barely entered the room in time to see Kramer effectively neutralize his agent.

Brandt was looking more and more anxious as the stalemate dragged on. Kramer had also begun to look more twitchy, something that made Ethan fret.

There was only one way out of this, but Brandt wasn't going to like it. In fact, Ethan would probably gamble that Brandt was going to _hate_ his idea.

There were only two options on the table, one of which Ethan wasn't willing to accept. Ethan had no doubt that Kramer wouldn't hesitate at killing his agent. The agent couldn't allow that outcome when there might be some way to end it all now. There was no possibility Jane and Benji would be able to circle around the field fast enough to reach them in time to affect however the situation ended.

Ethan remained still, not needing to close the distance between himself and Kramer. A small flicker of possibility had crossed his mind. It was the small shred of hope he'd been grasping for. He couldn't shoot Kramer - anything less than an instant kill-shot would give the man time to cut Brandt's throat. He altered his aim slightly, letting out a long, soft breath.

Ethan felt the muscles in his jaw twitch, and he saw Brandt go pale. The analyst closed his eyes, making Ethan unwillingly smile. The team leader barely managed to push away the remorse, guilt, and fear that was threatening to swarm him as he waited for the small window of opportunity Brandt would present him with.

He'd have to judge this shot carefully. The instant Kramer glanced down, Ethan altered his aim slightly and fired in a swift movement. Unfortunately for both of the IMF agents, Kramer had shifted both his weight and Brandt's with his motion, causing Ethan's shot to go lower than he intended. Instead of being a clear through and through that clipped the underside of Brandt's arm before piercing Kramer, the bullet tore through Brandt's right shoulder. The result was the same - Brandt, who had been using his right arm to cling to Kramer's in an effort to avoid strangulation, released his grip and dropped like a stone in the man's grasp.

Kramer was so taken aback by Ethan's unpredictable action that he didn't even attempt to stop his shield from going down. For a moment, all he could do was gape at the man for a moment. That moment was all Ethan needed. Two more shots threw the man back a pace where he crumpled to the ground. Ethan didn't need to see if the man was still alive. He'd neatly placed one bullet near his heart and the other in his throat.

"Shit," Hunt breathed as he darted forward to examine his agent. His aim had been more off than he initially thought, causing Ethan to curse once again. "Brandt, are you-" _He'd missed._

"If you ask me if I'm fine," Brandt growled, the effect diminished by the fact that he couldn't manage much more than a pained squeak. "I will probably kill you myself. Or better yet... I'll die on you." The analyst took a shuddering breath as he tried to push himself upright. "Then I won't have to deal with this."

Ethan tried to force a smile as he clicked on his comms. unit. They hadn't even had time to turn the damn things on before everything went to hell. "Benji, we're going to need an ambulance," he said urgently.

"Ethan, what are you-" Benji began.

"Just call an ambulance," the team leader snapped as he stopped Brandt from moving. "Gunshot wound to the shoulder. Clear through and through. Jane's going to need to dispose of two bodies."

"_Two _bodies... Dammit, Ethan, what the bloody hell is going on?" Benji growled but Ethan had already turned back to Brandt.

"You shot me," the analyst said weakly when he had Ethan's attention. "You... bastard. You shot me. Deliberately. I'm resigning. You _fucking_ shot me."

_He'd missed._

"Take it easy," Ethan said as he did his best to slow the wound that was luckily only moderately bleeding. "You're going to be fine."

It looked like Brandt was having difficulty breathing. Ethan wasn't sure if it was the pure rage on his analyst's face or if it was the effort of breathing through the pain that made his agent's breathing ragged and tense. Too much time had passed since Ethan had shot him, and Brandt had begun to shiver from his position on the ground.

"Ethan, mate, did Brandt just say you _shot_ him?" Benji demanded. The door slammed open on the other side of the room, making Ethan flinch. The tech had been closer than he thought, Ethan realized as he looked up to see the man stowing away his mobile.

"Yes," Ethan snapped. "How long until the paramedics arrive?"

"Not more than ten minutes," Benji replied as he scurried over to drop to the ground beside the groaning Brandt. "You _shot _him?"

Ethan cast a withering glance at the tech, only to find one just as cold leveled back at him. With a sigh, Ethan elaborated. "It was shoot him in the arm, or watch Kramer slit his throat."

"That does not look like an arm to me," Benji replied, pushing Ethan aside to take over applying pressure on the wound. "Did you say _Kramer?_"

"Yes," Ethan ground out before hopping back to his feet.

"Ethan!" Benji shouted after him as the agent stalked from the building.

_He'd missed._

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><p><em>Review, por favor?<em>


	2. Chapter 2

From Senn's prompt list: "He never was one for shades of gray."

Once again, kudos and thanks to the Beta Branch for being fantastic. This is part 2 of 3. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited. Sorry this chapter is so short, but this is where it seemed to cut off the best due to the time skips occurring in the story itself.

As always, all mistakes are my own and reviews are snuggled.

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><p>Shades of Grey -<br>_Chapter Two (of Three)_  
>- Victoria LeRoux<p>

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><p>"We'll keep him here at least another two days," the doctor said with a worried frown. "After that, he'll face at least another six months of PT and recovery for his shoulder. I can't promise that he'll ever be fully back to full mobility, but I have no problem releasing him provided there's no unforeseen complications."<p>

"Just five days in the hospital?" Ethan asked with a frown of his own, his eyes fixed on the doctor who was beginning to look uncomfortable at the intense scrutiny. "That doesn't seem like very long."

"I see no reason to keep him longer. It's healing up fairly nicely, even though there was quite a bit of tendon damage. There was no massive nerve damage, but he'll probably have periodic pain and occasional numbness for the rest of his life. I'll provide a full packet on outpatient care and doctor recommendations for the PT, but to be frank with you, I'm not worried," the doctor gave a lighthearted smile that stood in contrast to his earlier expression. It appeared as though the man had picked up on Ethan's edginess, for he added soothingly, "it looks like he has a good group of friends to help him heal."

_Yeah. That's why I shot him - because I'm such a good friend, _Ethan thought sourly. He tried to glance through the door around the doctor, but the man stubbornly remained in his way. "Can I go see him now?"

The doctor hesitated, his hand on the door behind him. "He hasn't been very... talkative," the doctor admitted. "We've been cutting back on his dosage, so he's going to be in some pain."

"It's fine," Ethan replied urgently. He was used to dealing with a pained Brandt. "Now, if there's nothing else..."

The doctor hesitated again, but eventually gave a small shrug and stepped aside, pushing the door behind him open. Ethan needed no further prompting, and he quickly slipped into the room.

It was a relief to be away from the accusing eyes of Benji and Jane. Neither of the pair had completely forgiven him for being responsible for placing Brandt in the hospital to begin with. After Brandt had been driven away, the two of them had cornered Ethan and forced him to tell them the entire story. Both of them had acted carefully neutral after he'd quietly explained, and hadn't called him since. He didn't blame them in the slightest for not understanding his motives. _Hell,_ not even Ethan himself was sure what he'd been thinking.

"Brandt?" Ethan asked softly as he stepped into the room. This was the first time he'd tried to visit his analyst, even though both Jane and Benji had been to see him several times. The low beeping of the heart monitor was his only initial answer. "Agent Brandt?'

There was the sound of someone taking a deep breath, and Ethan's eyes fell upon the bed. Brandt had curled up on his side, facing away from the agent.

"What do you want?" Brandt snapped.

Okay, hostile. Ethan could deal with hostile.

"How are you?" Ethan asked cautiously as he went to sit in the chair beside Brandt's bed. He purposefully selected the one that allowed his agent to keep his back to him. Ethan ignored the voice that told him it was as much for his benefit as Brandt's.

"Shot," came Brandt's surly reply.

Ethan sighed, allowing his face to drop into his hands. "Br - _Will._I never intended... I didn't..." he fumbled, finding himself at a rare loss for words. He found himself wishing that he'd chosen the chair that allowed him to watch Brandt's face.

"Of course you didn't. Agent Hunt doesn't _intend_ to hurt anyone. He just barrels along, leaving havoc in his path. It doesn't matter if it's Julia or the Secretary, or even one of his goddamned agents as long as the mission gets done," Ethan flinched as the analyst struck home each word. Obviously in the time since the man had woken up, he'd been thinking about what to say to his team leader. "Let me guess. You want me to tell you everything's going to be okay because _you_ shot me."

Ethan let out a long sigh. He should have anticipated that he'd get nowhere with Brandt in a mood like this, but he hadn't been able to resist the urge to see Brandt relatively well and _alive_. "Fine," he snapped. It felt too satisfying to give into his own anger. "I'll leave your outpatient information with Jane."

The agent stalked from the room, brushed by a startled Jane and Benji, and did his best to leave his anger and guilt behind in the room with his suffering agent.

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><p>It bugs me how short this one was, but the next one is longer. Promise! Please review.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

From Senn's prompt list: "He never was one for shades of gray." Part 3 of 3. Many thanks to all of those who've reviewed, favorited, and alerted!

Rated T for language and violence.

Once again, many thanks to the Branch for being fantastic. As always, a reminder that we're not an exclusive group and we're always open to new members.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed - I promise I'll send out replies this time. ^.^. As promised, this one is twice as long.

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><p><strong>Shades of Grey-<strong>  
>Chapter Three (Of Three)<br>_-Victoria LeRoux_

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><p><em>This time, he didn't hit Brandt's shoulder. This time the bullet tore into his analyst's throat, and Ethan was barely able to reach the man in time to meet a pair of accusing eyes.<em>

Ethan startled awake, his hands going instantly for his gun. His breathing was ragged as he attempted to try to control the adrenaline that had surged through him.

_Damn it._

The agent went to the curtains of his room to yank them open. Light poured into the room, making him wince. His head throbbed with every heartbeat, causing him to wonder if he'd gone out drinking last night.

No. No, he didn't think he had. He could clearly remember Jane slamming the door in his face when he tried to come visit his team.

The agent sighed, running a hand through his hair. The entire team was falling apart at the seams, and he knew the blame lay chiefly with him. He'd failed at keeping them safe, and he couldn't blame them for condemning him for it.

Two weeks. Two weeks since his agent had been released from the hospital and they'd returned to Virginia. In the time since Brandt had been cleared to stay at Jane's house, he'd only seen him twice. He had been only able to talk to him once under the close supervision of Benji, as if the tech had suspected that Ethan would try to shoot Brandt again.

He hadn't even been given the chance to issue a proper apology and was beginning to regret storming out of the hospital.

Ethan rubbed his face with the back of his hand before turning. It was time to get a little more creative, he realized. If Jane wouldn't let him through the front door, he'd have to find another way.

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><p>The realization that he was stalking his own agents wasn't a pleasant one.<p>

Ethan crouched in the patch of undeveloped land behind Jane's house, thankful that there was sufficient cover to avoid being seen. He knew that Jane would soon be going to bed, and that Brandt would spend at least another hour sitting in front of the television. Benji had left over two hours ago, making it unlikely that the tech would return before morning.

Jane and Brandt seemed to be having some kind of argument, Ethan realized. It was enough to make him wish he'd bugged the house, but he hadn't wanted to risk it at the time. They were too far away for him to easily read their lips, and moving closer would activate Jane's automatic lights.

Jane threw her hands up and stalked from the living room to disappear in her own. _Good._ Ethan's time had come.

The agent slithered back into the bushes before looping around. He couldn't go through the backyard or by the garage, but he knew she had a little skylight above her attic. He probably would be able to reach it by climbing the side of the house. He'd have to hurry, he knew. He only have about five minutes before she turned on the alarm.

Ethan dropped over the fence and managed to reach the roof with some ease. He'd have to speak with Jane about this - she was too vulnerable to attack if someone came after her.

The agent did his best to step quietly until he reached the skylight. He'd assumed incorrectly - it was just over her room. Ethan peered through the glass and realized the bathroom light was on. Quietly he tested the lock and found it open. The man frowned. It was another thing he'd need to discuss with her.

Ethan slid it open and swung into the room. It took a little hopping, but he managed to get the glass closed just before he heard her shower click off. Quickly he hurried out of the room and gently closed it behind him.

_You're an idiot, Ethan._He told himself firmly before slipping into the living room. Brandt's back was to him, and the analyst seemed unaware of Ethan creeping up behind him.

His foot bumped a set of books, tipping them over. The analyst whirled at the sound, going to draw his weapon. The sling got in his way, pulling a pained noise from the younger man's throat.

_Shit. Not a good start._

"Hey," he said softly. His golden plan didn't seem quite so refined now that he was face-to-face with his analyst. "Can we talk?"

An embarrassed flush rose to Brandt's face as he righted his sling. The analyst jerked his thumb at the uncomfortable looking chair by the television.

"Go ahead," Brandt responded after a long, awkward pause. "You'll only keep trying until I agree."

Ethan moved fluidly to take the seat, wincing as the uncomfortable backing drove into his spine. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

He knew that his next words were probably going to be the most important ones of the whole conversation.

"Brandt," Ethan began, keeping his gaze steady on his analyst's face. "I'm sorry." The analyst blinked, looking fairly surprised, but didn't say anything. Ethan tried again. "What I did... it was the only option I saw that didn't end with you in a body bag. It wasn't my intention to hurt you so badly."

The words had sounded better in his head, and evidently Brandt agreed because the agent didn't take long to snap back. "Well, that's a relief. I was hoping that you only intended shooting me to hurt a _little _bit," there was a pause as Ethan waited for the analyst to continue. "So you had a plan? What was it - killing me before Kramer could?"

Ethan winced, thankful that the agent had kept his words to a low growl. The last thing he needed as an angry Jane bulldozing into the room and shooting him.

"It was only supposed to be a graze. I wanted to remove you from the action," Brandt snorted, but didn't say anything in response. Ethan waited patiently, not sure if a snarky remark would occur, but none came. This wasn't working, it wasn't working at all. With a sigh, he stood. "Look, Brandt, just take care of yourself.? You're too good an agent to quit the IMF."

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><p>Brandt couldn't help feeling sorry for Hunt. The man looked like someone had shot his dog as he stared beseechingly at Brandt. The analyst sighed as the man stood. It would be so much easier simply look at this in terms of black and white, to stay mad at Ethan just because he shot him, and to just give up on this whole team idea.<p>

"Ethan." he grunted. The team leader cocked his head to one side, staring at Brandt. Two weeks had been a long time to think. "Plans only sound good until you put them in action," Brandt told the man. It was hard not to reach up at touch his shoulder, but he managed to keep his hands still.

A flicker of confusion crossed Hunt's face, but the man remained silent. Brandt allowed his eyes to move past Ethan to look at Jane, who was standing in her doorway. The agent's words from earlier crossed his mind as she gave him an encouraging nod, and Brandt sighed.

"If you didn't intend to nearly kill me, I take it you were trying to save my life?" Brandt asked. The question was a no-brainer, but it was all he could think of.

A flicker of hope crossed Ethan's face, causing a small tinge of guilt in Brandt. _Damn it. Hunt was supposed to be the guilty one here._Ethan nodded. "Do you still plan to resign?"

_Huh?_ Brandt blinked, not sure when he'd broadcast any intention in front of Ethan. Maybe the man was just jumping to conclusions. It wasn't exactly an unreasonable one for Hunt to grasp at. A hazy memory of yelling at Ethan crossed his mind. _Oh._"Is that what I said before I passed out?" his question came out more curious than accusing, and Brandt mentally smacked himself. He should have known that he was too tired for a confrontation tonight. His anger had diluted in favor of a weary exasperation.

Ethan shifted, looking longingly at the door behind Brandt. Will resisted the urge to feel smug. Come to think of it, he deserved to feel smug watching Ethan squirm uncomfortably.

"Yes," Hunt said at last.

Brandt glanced at Jane, who was making a pleading face at him, before returning his focus to Ethan. The team leader looked a little uncomfortable in the face of Brandt's guarded expression.

"Would you do it again?" Brandt demanded. Ethan cocked his head to one side, puzzled. Brandt elaborated. "Would you shoot me again, given the chance?"

_Ha. Talk your way out of that one._

Ethan paused, looking momentarily thrown for a loop. After just a second's contemplation, he responded with absolute certainty. "Yes," the agent admitted, "but probably in a different place."

_Well, damn._ It was hard to argue with that. Brandt couldn't resist the small smile that appeared on his face. He'd been forced to agree with Ethan in the middle of his first week out of the hospital that it probably had been the only choice. "Alright," he began carefully. "I can accept that. But just... aim better next time, okay?"

Ethan stared back at him, completely bemused. The analyst had expected the perplexed expression though, and elaborated on the conclusion he'd arrived at a while ago. "I got your wife killed, Ethan. If you can forgive me for that, I can try to forgive you for shooting me."

The team leader narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful as he stared at Brandt. It was obvious that he hadn't expected the conversation to play out at it did, and he arrived at the obvious conclusion. "Jane talked to you, didn't she?"

Brandt grinned sheepishly as Jane stuck her tongue out at Ethan's back. It was true - Jane had spent the better part of two weeks stonewalling Ethan while trying to talk Brandt into releasing some of his anger. She had been pissed at the team leader too, but she was more forgiving than the others.

"Something like that," Brandt said. "Now come here."

Gingerly he opened his arms, trying to keep his face deadpan as he gestured to Ethan for a hug. Looking bewildered, Ethan moved forward.

_Gotcha._Brandt lashed forward with his good arm, his knuckles glancing off Ethan's nose. The older agent's head snapped to one side, and he cursed loudly as Brandt chuckled.

The analyst leaned back smugly as he gave Ethan a cocky smile. "_Now _we're good," he said with satisfaction.

Ethan shook his head with disbelief as he looked at Brandt. The satisfied smile on Brandt's face remained as the team leader turned and came face-to-face with Jane.

The pair would have a long way to go, but it was a start.


End file.
